ENGAGEMENT RING EDUCATION

A polished diamond’s beauty lies in its complex relationship with light.

The cut of a diamond refers to how well it has been shaped and faceted by the jeweler. A well-cut diamond will reflect light beautifully, creating that signature sparkle. The GIA Cut Scale ranges from Excellent to Poor.

The cut is often considered the most important of the 4 C's because it has the greatest influence on a diamond’s brilliance.

Although many people think of gem quality diamonds as colorless, truly colorless diamonds are actually very rare.

Diamond color ranges from completely colorless to light yellow or brown. The less color a diamond has, the higher its value. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grades diamond color on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown).

A colorless diamond is often the most sought after, but slightly colored diamonds can be a unique and budget-friendly choice.

Clarity measures the presence of internal or external imperfections, known as inclusions and blemishes, respectively.

Diamonds are graded on The GIA clarity scale from Flawless (no inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification) to Included (inclusions and/or blemishes visible to the naked eye).

The fewer the imperfections, the rarer and more valuable the diamond.

Carat weight measures the size of the diamond. One carat equals 200 milligrams in weight.

While it’s easy to assume that bigger is better, carat weight should be considered alongside the other C’s. A well-cut, clear, and colorless diamond of smaller carat weight can often appear more brilliant and beautiful than a larger, lower-quality stone.